Nonwoven film coated fabric



May 5, 1953 R. H. BARNARD NONWOVEN FILM COATED FABRIC Filed Jan. 30, 1950 INVENTOR RANDOLPH H. BARNARD 8 Y F- N R O W A Patented May 5, 1953 NONWOVEN FILM COATED FABRIC Randolph H. Barnard, Waterville, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of the United States Application January 30, 1950, Serial No. 141,283

4. Claims. (01. 154--50) This invention relates to unsupported films, and particularly to fabrics for use as reinforcements for unsupported films.

This application relates to co-pending application, Serial No. 99,545, filed June 16, 1949, as-

signed to the same assignee as the present application.

Unsupported films, such as many of the sheet plastic materials sold under various trade names such as Pliofilm, Velon, and others are used for various and sundry purposes. However, the unsupported films have little tear resistance and puncture resistance, so that a slight tear or puncture of the film causes a serious damage to the film sheet which renders it practically useless.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a thin reinforcing mat of nonwoven fabric to which the unsupported film is suitably bonded to increase the utility of the film by increasing the strength of the film, and increasing tear resistance and puncture resistance of the film.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an unsupported film with a nonwoven fabric reinforcement which will not eliminate the transparency of the unsupported film. It is still another object of the invention to provide a fluid-impervious film on a nonwoven fabric base for use as brattioe cloth in mines, and other comparable services.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fluid-impervious film with a reinforcing nonwoven fabric that contains random laid reinforcing threads in the fabric.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a reinforced unsupported film, which composite product will be fireproof, or fireresistant, depending upon the nature of the film.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an upsupported film with a fabric reinforcement at a low and economical cost.

Further objects'and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of a product incorporating features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective elevational view of a modified form of a product made according to this invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the product shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating a slightly modified form of product;

Figure. ,5 isa diagrammatic illustration of apparatus for producing the product of this invention;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a mine illustrating the use of the product of this invention as brattice cloth;

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method of attachment of the brattice cloth to the wall of a mine; and

Figure 8 is a perspective elevational view of a spad and nail used in Figure 7.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a product incorporating the subject of this invention,- the product consisting of a normally unsupported film l9 that is supported on and carried by a nonwoven fabric ll having reinforcing threads I5 extending at random throughout the nonwoven fabric l I.

The nonwoven fabric l l preferably consists of glass fibers or filaments that are laid down to form a thin mat, which can be termed a nonwoven fabric, the fibers or filaments constituting the mat having diameters on the order of .00023" to .00028". Of course, other fiber or filament diameters can be useddepending upon the nature and strength desired in the mat, or nonwoven fabric strip. The mat ll may be of any suitable thickness, but thicknesses of from 20 mils to 30 mils have been found sufficient for all practical purposes to give good tear resistance and puncture resistance to an unsupported film carried upon one or both surfaces of the mat II, or nonwoven fabric strip.

The film It! is produced in the form of a sheet of any suitable flexible fluid-impervious material, this sheet having a thickness on the order of 2 mils to 5 mils. However, other thicknesses of sheets or films can be used, depending upon the nature of use to which the product will be placed and the strength desired in the body of the film.

The mat ll preferably is made of glass fibers or filaments reinforced with glass threads. It is preferable that the film l9 shall be either fireproof or fire-resistant, thus obtaining a product highly resistant against fire hazard. However, other films may be used if desired. Films made from phenol-furfural compounds, vinyl chloride acetate resins and vinylidene chloride resins are particularly suitable for the'product of this invention for their burning rate is exceedingly low, being classified as nil.

The film I0 is bonded to the mat ll either by the bonding material that holds the fibers of the mat together or by a separately applied adhesive. Also, when the film I0 is of a heat softening material, the film It can be bonded to the mat H by heating the film slightly-to 3 soften it and applying a slight pressure to the film to cause it to adhere to the mat I I.

Since the mat H is relatively thin, as heretofore stated, and is made of transparent fibers or filaments, such as glass filaments, the mat will be relatively transparent so that a transparent film applied to the mat will retain in the composite product a "substantial degree of transparency. This can be aided, of course. by the use of clear bonding agents for binding the glass filaments together and for bonding the transparent film upon the mat or nonwoven fabric 1 l.

The glass threads l3 that 'a-reilaid at random through the body of the mat or nonwoven fabric l I impart a substantial degree of tensileistrength to the mat in the direction of its length as well as in the direction of its width. Also, the mat l I being bonded to the film 'I'D imparts to the film the added tensile strength of the mat, endmlds to the film tear resistance and puncture resistance that the film alone does not have. It -is thus possible to use the film-covered nonwoven .iabric forrough applications to which the unsupportedxfilm 10 itself is not adapted.

Such an application is illustrated in Figure 6, wherein the fabric-reinforced film is used as 'brattice cloth to seal off the walls of a mine against air leakage. In an application of this kind, the resistanceof the glass fibers of the -mat to deterioration from moisture and heat :renders the product of this invention particularly useful as brattice cloth, the plastic film H] providing the desired-degree of fluid imperviousness to prevent an leakage from the mine chambers or in air ducts formed by the use of the 'brattice cloth.

In Figure 6 the brattice cloth usage *of the product of this'invention illustrates the application of the cloth-to'the roof 1 def amine chamber, the brattice cloth I5 being attached to the roof by means of spads 1 6 and nails H threaded through the cloth [5 and a hole 1 8 provided in the spad 16. These spads iii are driven into the wall of the mines at suitable intervals to support the brattice 'cloth l5.

"in-Figured there is illustrated aslightly modifled form of product in which the mat H is provided with films Illa and [b on each side ofthe mat I I.

in Figure-2 there is illustrateda modified form of product wherein the mat Ha is formed "of felted glass fibers or filaments in the same manner as the mat H shown in Figure l, but thereinforcing threads [3 have been omitted.

-In :Figure there is illustrated diagrammatically an apparatus .for producing the products arefed at regular, intervals into :the chamber '2'0 tomaintain a supply of molten glass therein.

At each side of the small orifices-23, 'which'extend in a row longitudinally of theheating chamber Z'O'there is provided a high pressureJblast'o'f gas directed 'angularly inwardly toward the streams of molten glass discharging through the orifices .23 to grasp the streams atthe convergen'ce of theblasts ofgas issuing from the nozzle chambers to cause the glass to be drawn into fine filaments orifibers,as is well known in 'the art.

The glass fibers or filaments are conducted through a collecting hood 2! for collection upon an endless belt 28 provided beneath the hood 21.

Glass threads 13 are fed into the hood 2! such as by the feeding rolls 29 for random displacement of the threads I3 within the body of the mat fonned'onthe collecting :belt 2% as the glass ifibers Land the threads tall to :collecting belt.

As the mat moves from beneath the collecting hood on the belt 28 a binding agent is sprayed upon the mat through a conduit 30, and the product then passes beneath a heating hood 3| to dry the :binding :a'gent. Subsequently, another adhesive may be sprayed on the bonding mat through a. :spray 'conduit 32 before the unsupported film l-ll is placed on the surface of the mat. After the film 10 is placed on the surface of the mat l I, it may be conducted under a heating hood 33 to set the adhesive and bond the film I0 the mat ll.

It will be understood that the apparatus shown in Figure '5 .is merely illustrative of one method of producing the productslshoum in Figures ll ami 2 and that other suitable apparatus can be used,

and the bonding of the film =l 0to the mat1l can be accomplished in various "ways.

While the product described herein is a pref-- erable form of the invention, yet the product-can be modified without departing from the spirit or the invention, ands'uch modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Havingth'us fully des'cr'ib'ed'my 1nvention,'what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

,1. As a new product of manufacture, a nonwoven fabricsubstitute consisting otia thin nonwoven semi-transparent mat-of staple glass fiber forming a structural supporting base and a lie:- ible fluid impervious .film of lesser thickness bonded onone side thereof.

2. :As a new product 01 manufacture, fa nonwoven fabric substitute, consisting of a thin manwoven semi transparent mat of inter-entangled stapleglassfiberhaving a thickness on the order of twenty imils to thirty mils bonded together forming ta structurallsupporting base :andxa sheet of flexible fluid impervious filmdra-ving :a thick-- anes 'on themrderzo'f twozmils tozflve mils bonded on one ."s'id'e thereof.

3. '.As :a mew prcduct 13f manufacture, a monwoven fabric substitute consisting of ca thin nonwoven semi-transparent mat of inter-entangled staple :glass Ifiber bonded togeth'er forming n. structural supporting base, !a continuous length thread random laid in the body of "sa'id m'at,and a sheet of a fiexible dluiii impervious fllm of lesser thickness than said -mafibonded'on one sikle of said mat.

:4. its 1a inew aproduct :of manufacture, a nonwoven :fabric substitute ac'onsistin'g of a thin nonwoven semi-transparent open-mesh mat=ofinterentangled staple glass fiber havingatliicknesson .the order of twenty mils :to thirty m'ils bom'ied together forming a structural supporting base, a continuous length thr'ea'd random "laid within the body df 4 said mat, and "a sheet "of a flexible fluid impervious film having a thicknesson the order mat.

ZRANDOLPH H. IBARNAERD.

tnemencesnnuoumm maze) 5 6 References Cited in the file of this patent Number Name Date TEN 2,537,126 Francis Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PA Ts 2,571,372 Martin Oct. 16, 1951 Number Name Date 2,107,901 Obermaier Feb. 8, 193a OTHER REFERENCES 2,366,514 Gaylor Jan.2,194 Fiberglass Standards Supplement #CP6.C1. 2,392,882 Roberts Jan.1 19 6 April 8, 1949, published by the Owens Corning 2,422,969 Johns June 24, 19 Fiberglass Corp.1 page. 2,477,555 Roberts et a1 July 26, 1949 2,481,949 Richardson Sept. 13, 1949 2,511,887 Vinal June 20, 1950 10 

1. AS A NEW PRODUCT OF MANUFACTURE, A NONWOVEN FABRIC SUBSTITUTE CONSISTING OF THIN NONWOVEN SEMI-TRANSPARENT MAT OF STAPLES GLASS FIBER FORMING A STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING BASE AND A FLEXIBLE FLUID IMPERVIOUS FILM OF LESSER THICKNESS BONDED ON ONE SIDE THEREOF. 